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40 reviews for Summers Estate Wines
40 reviews in English
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Review from Matt M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012
Just visited Summers Estate and really enjoyed the experience. Joined their wine club too! Their wines are an excellent value compared to all the overpriced choices in Napa. And they have a Charbono. If you've never tried this wine, it's a must!
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Review from TJ J.
Napa, CA
11/28/2011
Summers Estate Wines has one of the friendliest, most helpful and informative wine educators in the Valley, a Mr. Graham Jones. They also have some very good wines and you may taste six of them for only $10 or have the fee waived with each bottle of wine you purchase. Since any red wine drinker would want to leave with at least one bottle of the Charbono, that means a free tasting for at least one person. (The Charbono sells out every year.)
We started our tasting off with the very nice 2008 Reserve Chardonnay at $22. This was aged in French Oak for ten months. It has no malolactic fermentation, thankfully, and is a nice dry chardonnay with some apple on the palate and distinct touch of oak. It is quite nice for the price. Summers is famous for their Charbono and we tasted the 2008 which sells for $28. This is an Italian varietal that is not very common in California. It is plum colored, full bodied, with soft tannins, notes of blackberry and a nice finish. We just loved it!!! We also really liked the 2008 Estate Zinfandel, at $34, with its cherry nose and soft tannins. This had nice mouth feel and was not as jammy as some Zins. Although we are both Petite Sirah fans, we tend to like more substance, tannin and pepper than the pleasant, fruity 2007 Petite Sirah. It was decent, but not in the style I like. The 2007 Reserve Cab at $45 was decent enough, well balanced with cherry on the palate. Much more to my liking, however, was the excellent 2007 Diamond Mountain Cab at $70. It would sell for over $100 if it was at a winery in Rutherford or Oakville. Although neither of us are very fond of most sweet wines, we both really liked the 2008 Knights Valley Petite Sirah Port Style Wine at $36. Other visitors to the winery were also raving about it. This wine has a lot more going on with it than just sweetness. Summers is a delightful winery to visit and we highly recommend it! -
Review from v. s.
San Ramon, CA
1/29/2012
Had also never heard of Summers, and visited on the wine passport. The wines are a good value, but one of the staff members was extreemly rude (THE ENGLISH dude)
He seemed bothered by the amount of "passport" wine people visiting. Roling eyes, answering the phone and telling customers 'we are full' and can not accomadate you.' Just seemed frazzled and not wanting to tell people about the wine . Yes they were busy. You have a job! You work in the beautiful wine country, and, hello, you pour wine! REALLY!? Leave your attitude at home! The passport is helping people know about Summers. We bought a case. The older gentleman was knowledgeable and helpful. -
Review from Bryce B.
1/4/2012
I had never heard of Summers before purchasing a tasting passport for wineries in the Calistoga/St. Helena area. They are definitely a throwback: friendly, informative, generous and value priced. Although there were 6 wines on the tasting menu, we were able to get a few items (Petite Sirah and Muscat) that were not. I was intrigued by the fact that Summers produced a Charbono, a rare grape that is difficult to tame. Originally an Italian varietal, it is now only grown in California. I haven't had one since Sterling stopped making it years ago. Definitely something different and worth the effort to try. The Merlot and Petite Sirah were rich and dense, and a few bottles of each (plus the aforementioned Charbono) were purchased.
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Review from Becky U.
11/30/2011
We didn't get to stay long at this location, but the setting was beautiful. Great wine and friendly staff.
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Review from ERIC P.
Agoura Hills, CA
11/14/2011
Great Wine, amazing prices & very friendly staff. I think our fav wine!!!
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Review from Rebecca D.
Los Gatos, CA
5/12/2011
Be prepared to stay for awhile at this one. The owner is very friendly and likes to talk, in detail, about the wine. Which isn't a bad thing.
I always like it when wineries have food pairings with some of their stuff, instead of them just saying "Oh, it'd go good with this...".
Ended up getting the Charbono after tasting it with some of the grape tomatoes. I made some pasta the very next day with a tomato sauce (as he recommended) and it was awesome.
Normally, we HATE Chardonnay. Hate it. We usually skip it on most flights. Somehow, we ended up tasting this one, and not only liked it...we actually BOUGHT it.
Another plus - you can see the Calistoga geyser erupting from the tasting room. Just a little bonus! -
Review from Stephanie H.
Calabasas, CA
3/24/2011
OUR FAVORITE WINERY during our little Napa getaway!!
We rented bikes and picked up some lunch in Calistoga and headed to Summers where we heard there was a nice little garden we could picnic.
We tasted the famous Charbono, which is an obscure Italian wine that is now only produced in Napa Valley. My favorite was the Zinfindel which was super smooth with our roast beef and turkey sandwiches. Our host Roy was AWESOME. He provided excellent context for the wines and was also incredibly entertaining and funny. He gave us so many food pairing ideas as he was a chef in his former life.
Best of all, in the garden, there is bocce which is our new favorite sport! -
Review from Raina S.
12/24/2010
This is a very welcoming place. Erin S. and I found it by accident as we were trying to get our Yelp phone apps to work (the service in the Calistoga area is very spotty).
When we entered, the tasting room was empty, but it quickly filled up. The wines here are excellent. I knew I wanted to buy a bottle or two, but it was very hard to choose. However, I just had to get a bottle of their charbono. I'd never heard of the grape before, but I learned a lot about it at Summers. Apparently, this is just about the only place you can get it. This seems odd, since the charbono was fantastic! Sadly, my one bottle didn't even survive 8 hours post-purchase. We drank it that same night! -
Review from Erin S.
I would never have known about this place unless I had my trusty Yelp app. Raina S. & I were on a mission to do some wine tasting while visiting Calistoga last weekend but neither of us were familiar with the area. Bring out the phones!
http://media2.px.yelpc...
The first winery we tried was by appointment only, so our next choice was Summers Estate. It's a cute little place with beautiful grounds. We headed to the tasting room & were the only patrons at first, but the place quickly filled with couples bearing passport booklets. Everyone was apparently there using some Groupon special that weekend.
Our pourers were knowledgeable & fairly generous with their pours. They told little stories with each tasting explaining the wines, the land, the vines, the winemaker, & the family business. It was pretty interesting stuff. I did feel bad that these folks had to tell & retell those stories all day long, tho. Every time a new couple walked in I'd hear the story again about the Charbono vines & the worker who serenades the vines with his guitar.
I ended up really liking all of their wines, but seeing that it's the holiday season, I was pretty much tapped out. I allowed myself 1 bottle of the 2007 Zinfandel ($34). The Charbono & chardonnay were also excellent.
If I had a bit more in my bank account I would have gone for the tasting special...all 6 bottles of wine for $180. Maybe next time. -
Review from Jason S.
Menlo Park, CA
8/29/2011
Went here last weekend and the guy behind the bar was awesome... Plus if you buy wine you do not have to pay the tasting fee... A great deal and quality service = a+
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Review from John D.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2011
I thought this place was pretty down to earth and not like some of the pretentious places down on 29. I would have totally driven past this place however, if not for the passport and I am sure I will return in the very near future.
Most of their wines are actually pretty good and took me by surprise. The winner here is the charbono which not many producers make in Napa. They do, with Vermeil/On the Edge wines the other. The pourer was a bit grumpy at first probably because he had to miss the seahawks/bears playoff game at the time, but warmed up after a while. A plus however was the suggested pairing and they all worked out pretty well. The pours like others said were also generous.
Note some of the sales are not on their website, as an example the checkmate is $50 insteaf of $100. It consists of malbec which isn't a typical varietal for blends, but it's a blend that can be consumed right now.
A plus for the owner who opened the door for us on the way out and recommended other wineries to visit. -
Review from Mike M.
San Bruno, CA
7/13/2011
The 2008 Alexander Valley chardonay Reserve is a killer at $22.00. I just ordered 6 more from the Wine Club in San francisco( special order via their web site). If you like Grgich, you will love this.Its the type of wine you could just keep drinking until it is gone.
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Review from Cheryl O.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
5/8/2010
Loved, loved this place. We only tasted wine here and didn't picnic or bocce ball as the weather wasn't quite right for that.
This place was recommended by our fabulous inn-keepers at the Inn on First in Napa. We wanted something different and hadn't yet been up to Calistoga. They suggested we go here for the change of scenery and the Charbono.
Yep, right on. The lady pouring was very nice (Kathy?) and knowledgeable. I think there were 6 or 7 pours and we did a few extra as I wanted to taste some dessert wine.
This is the only place I went where I said "This is really good" after each and every wine.
The standouts were the Charbono (drinking some right now, mmmm), the Zinfandel, and the Muscat. I think the Muscat was the best I've ever had and I like my dessert wines. This was fantastic so of course, I bought some but not enough.
I would make a drive out to return to this winery. Half-drunk bocce ball in the fall sounds good :) -
Review from Tiffany N.
Denver, CO
2/23/2010
Summers left me with very mixed feelings. When we walked in, and throughout the entire tasting I got the feeling that the man working there didn't like us. I know that not everyone can like me, but I didn't even have a chance to say anything before he gave me this feeling. I honestly would have ordered more of their wines to be delivered to my house had he been just a teensy bit nicer because I did enjoy quite a few of them, but I didn't feel good about spending my money there.
They did have a winery cat that let me pet him so that upped my feelings just enough that I bought a deliciously fruity and sweet dessert wine as well as a lovely zinfandel. Then I realized that the shipping here was like 4 times as much as the shipping at another winery where we had just come from and I was sad again. I'm sure they have a reason for the variation in shipping, but when people aren't nice and don't explain it to me then I don't have as good of a time as I could have.Listed in: Ladyhawk and Sir Nicholas take…
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Review from Nat H.
Lafayette, CA
11/11/2008
Bocce ball, great wine and beautiful views? Yes, please!
If you're in the Calistoga area I highly recommend stopping by for some wine tasting and a game of bocce ball. Their tasting room is not overly decorated or trying to be something that it's not. It's simply a welcoming yet no frills tasting room that overlooks the Calistoga geyser. After enjoying your tasting you can grab a glass of wine and play bocce with your friends at the court they have set up in the back. Beth is one of the owners and is as nice as can be.
I've been a wine club member for the past three years and my favorites are the Charbono, the Knights Valley Merlot and the Estate Zinfandel. Charbono is a deep purple hued wine that is rare in this country and yet pairs well with many different foods. Whenever I buy wines for out-of-town guests I try to get enjoyable ones that they couldn't otherwise enjoy. Summer's Charbono often makes the short list of gift-worthy wines.Listed in: Who You Calling Wino!?!
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Review from Kathleen W.
Albany, CA
8/5/2008
The wineries on the fringe of wine country make these long drives out past Napa palatable. Summers is such a gem!
I got 2 bottles of the Charbono (a dying breed of wine) and the rose which Jeff and I enjoyed out on their picnic area. Great view, hot breezy summer day, chilled bottle of wine.
We played bocci ball which I'm surprisingly good at helping other people beat me at. -
Review from Jeff P.
Oakland, CA
12/9/2009
Despite being located in the Napa Valley, Summers is perhaps more akin to a Sonoma County winery. I say this because of the numerous varietals they offer which is a bit rare on this side of Wine Country.
Summers has a picturesque setting and pours some damn good wine. My fave was their Charbono. They posses a good share of the remaining plantings of this scarce varietal and make it sing better than their competitors. -
Review from Kris Q.
Encinitas, CA
Updated - 5/6/2011
Still my destination winery in Calistoga after all these years! Great wines, great people, beautiful yard, and a championship bocce court, to boot! (Of course bocce becomes more interesting the more wine you drink)
I'm not sure WHAT happened to those with negative reviews - guess they caught someone on a bad day (which happens to everyone). I've NEVER had bad service at Summers...but I've had horrible experience at some of the "big name, high priced" places. I say....give Summers a second chance to dazzle you!
The Charbono (their signature rare varietal) is amazing, but my favorites are their Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/6/2008
This is my DESTINATION winery in Calistoga! The wines and the people are great! The owners, Jim and… Read more »
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Review from Krissy M.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2006
Ahh, the difference between napa and Calistoga, the lack ot pretention and the beauty of one on one conversation with the person pouring the wine.
I really enjoyed my tasting at Summers where the emphasis seems to be on the people and the wine, rather than the gallery of art work or a showy tasting room.
This place is right next to the geyser, which you can see erupt from they're tasting room. We bought some Charbono, and want to head back just to enjoy the warm reception that was given to us as we tasted their reserve port.
Heads up, this is a great place to head right after a Calistoga mud bath - because face it, you smell like mud, and they didn't seem to care.Listed in: Napa-licious
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Review from sierra s.
4/12/2010
I've always like the Summers label and was so excited to do some tasting when I saw that they were close to where we were staying in Calistoga.
We walked in mid afternoon, in between two parties, so I think we threw them a little off guard. But without any reservations we were taking whatever we could get.
We tasted all their wines and were quite pleased with all of them. I didn't feel like I was upsold or anything, probably because they were rushing to get us out.
They have a cute little tasting room and a peaceful patio - perfect for a picnic of a nice summer day. -
Review from Dan W.
Olympia, WA
5/27/2011
Boutique, easy-going, and no big entry/grand tasting area needed. Just a comfortable, relaxing place with great wines. The wines do all the talking here...well, the owners have something to say, too. Ask them and they will easily talk about their product in enjoyable conversation. This is the place with the Charbono. Also a great Cab and a just right Merlot in the $25-35 range. And bocce ball in the back! And the geyser is just down the lane. Worth a stop. Scenery in the area is also a plus.
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Review from Zoya z.
Hayward, CA
Updated - 3/21/2011
Went to Summers again this past weekend. The service was wonderful and the tastings were great. A bottle of Charbono went home with me (last time it was Moscat). My friends were quite pleased that I had shared this spot with them and I know they'll be back. Mmm.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2011
My first reaction was "blech" but I turned it around. Too bad I had to work so hard for it.
The… Read more »
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Review from Carla H.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2011
We visited Calistoga for four nights recently and I had mapped out the wineries I wanted to visit based upon word of mouth and yelp reviews.
I had really excellent experiences at other Calistoga wineries until I stopped at this one. The woman pouring was rude and barely acknowledged us and then she found out we had a dog (a very small dog) she quickly kicked us out. Never got to try the wines and have no interest in this place at all. Really bad business practice considering how many wonderful wineries there are to choose from. -
Review from Tad S.
San Jose, CA
6/13/2008 2 photos
After visiting the geyser nearby, I visited Summer Estate for wine tasting. This was also my first time trying out Charbono, and I enjoyed it. It is a rare varietal said to be originated in the area around the borders of France and Italy, but only grown in Calistoga nowadays (as per the info in the wine label).
Its dog-friendly wine tasting room is small, cozy and quite, which is my kind of atmosphere. They also have tables outside by the lawns if you like to sit around outside and relax. My wife and I shared a glass and tried their $7 tasting, which I think it is very very reasonable. The tasting fee is even waived if you purchase the wines. I wouldn't say that the staffs are exceptionally friendly or unfriendly at all -- just average.
On our way out, we bought a bottle of Charbono and a bottle of muscat. I thought that their muscat was quite good as well. -
Review from Lisa K.
Seattle, WA
2/6/2007
I went for the second time on Saturday. We did the reserve tasting which was a great treat! I ended up with a few bottles...of something. I can't remember what because I enjoyed them that night...oops! But it was definitely enjoyed by all!
It is a very mellow winery with bocce ball in the back and extremely friendly people. I highly suggest checking it out! -
Review from Steve W.
Foster City, CA
8/18/2008
One of the most interesting and fun wine tastings we've ever been to! The wines are relatives inexpensive and very good. Maybe it was because we showed up at the same time as a tour bus of 7, but the server took his time, describing each wine, and in some cases, pairing them with food (serving us cherry tomatoes with the charbono cliched the sale.)
They also served only port that my wife has ever liked. -
Review from Stella J.
San Francisco, CA
6/9/2010
Oh, Summers. Different and special. Great, engaging conversation from the pourer, quite a few wines that you won't find many other places and air conditioning on a hot day. We arrived just after lunch in the sweltering heat and were heartily greeted at the counter. Much more of a casual experience, so if you like elegant, haughty tasting rooms this place is probably not for you.
Each taste came with a fabulous explanation, and I love a place that can deliver the information as much as the goods. Charming and warm, and we happily walked away with the giant sampler pack (I couldn't leave without the charbono!). You get to try quite a few, so come with an open mind. If you love a great story with your tasting, do not miss this place. -
Review from Holly S.
Windsor, CA
7/31/2011
What a great way to start a day of wine-tasting. Roy was our wine educator, and he really set the bar for the other 3 wineries we visited afterward. He went through 5-6 wines with us...paired a couple of them with cherry tomatoes and chocolate...what an Amazing treat! He did a great job, lovely wines, quaint location w/bacci ball court. Very casual and inviting.
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Review from Stephen B.
Buena Park, CA
8/23/2010
Overpriced for the taste.
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Review from JJ S.
Laguna Niguel, CA
5/26/2009
It's been a few years... This place devirginized us to Viognier and Charbono. We love the patio and bocce court right off the tasting room. Plus, the staff is always really nice and they always seem to have snacks around. Of course, we bought a few bottles of Charbono. Bummer that we didn't have time to stick around and shoot bocce, though.
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Review from Grace V.
Alameda, CA
6/22/2009
Oh Summers, you have not disappointed...even when the most dire of situations. On a whim, my friend and her family (of 22 people!!) wanted to head to the Napa Valley and try some wines. They were all visiting from Puerto Rico, so wine they shall have! We visited a certain famous winery (on the hill and down the street) and the douchebag who worked there turned us away! We contacted Summers and were delighted to have us and our crazy group. We literally brought the party! We turned it into a huge picnic/bocce ball/wine tasting/salsa dancing event on the patio. I am a huge fan of their zinfindel and charbono. We had wonderful down to earth service and I recommend anyone to visit.
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Review from Karen C.
7/31/2008
One word. Charbono.
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Review from Sarah B.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2008
a fantastic low-key place for wine tasting, very friendly staff, family home feel. $7 for 6 wines and we actually got 8 b/c there was an extra cab that was not on the menu.
can't ask for a better location for a picnic , view of the geyser and lovely bocce court. We bought a bottle of the le Nude Chard (they waive the tasting fee, many don't do this anymore) and enjoyed it with our lunch.
my glass fell off the table and broke just before we left, the wind blew it over , i swear......... the staff was so nice. swept it up for me.
And that is how you leave a winery! -
Review from yeana j.
Washington, DC
8/1/2009
I think I googled this place, and I initially chose it because it "sounded" pretty good...(don't ask me why). It was a tiny bit off the main winery route, but we loved it because it was so quaint and comfy. We brought sandwiches with us, and had ourselves a lovely, quiet picnic in the back. Afterwards, we went in to do the wine tasting. I loved all the wines...and it was really great that the guy explained indepth, the different wines to us. I learned a lot from just that one tasting! I ended up buying a bottle of their more famous Merlots that will go well with tomato-based foods to give to my parents, and the guy waived both of our tasting fees. He even gave us an extra tasting of their Muscat Canelli, which I have to say was sweet and delicious. (i have to remember to get it next time). Overall, this place was warm, friendly and definitely intimate, and I'll definitely be back!
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Review from Brooke B.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2009
Great wines. And unlike the other wineries, they seemed interested in teaching about the wines. We appreciated the time and attention. We came here on the bike tour and this winery wasnt included. It was worth the extra stop!
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Review from Samantha H.
Chicago, IL
9/12/2010
From the time you turn in, it's just the most picturesque vineyard. It's what you expect a vineyard to look like. Nothing flashy, just gorgeous vines and a mountain background that is so quintessential it's breathtaking. So you go in, again, pretty small and non-flashy. But the servers and the owners alike are very friendly. So now onto the tasting. It's $10 (Sept. of 2010) for 6 varietals (good value comparatively). Once you start tasting though, you see this is really some good wine. I was pleasantly surprised, as was the rest of my party. What really pushed the tasting over the top was the attention to detail. They matched 3 of the 6 with something that paired well (the cherry tomatoes were the kicker for me). This isn't something you find often. And the pairings were dead on. What they're known for is Charbono (a grape from Italy, typically not found in Napa). It was outstanding (had to buy a bottle) and their Merlot, which I'm not typically a fan of, was great (had to pick one of those up too). Something I wish we'd had time for is to sit outside in their yard, which is just gorgeous. You can buy a bottle there and sit outside to sip, which is something I'll be doing next time I'm in Napa.
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Review from Natalie C.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/4/2010
I really loved this winery. The staff was very friendly and informative. The wines were delicious. The environment is very welcoming and laid back. We packed our own lunch and enjoyed it on their back patio. The backyard is very inviting with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The price for tasting was inexpensive and they waived your tasting fee if you purchased a bottle of their wine. Check this place out its really fun and not pretentious.
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Review from Gen E.
Scottsdale, AZ
6/29/2010
I'm confused, this place was the worst place we visited on our trip, and I went because of all of the lovely reviews on yelp and a couple of others websites. When we walked in, we weren't warmly greeted, in fact, the lady pouring for two other couples deliberately had our back away from us and we literally had to wait for 10 minutes before we got her attention. It was awkward. There was a couple across from us that brought in their teenagers and kept sneaking them tastes of wine, it was very inappropriate, and the lady kept telling them not to drink it, she kept having to keep an eye on them which kind of ruined the experience of everyone else. Finally she asked them to go outside and play bocce ball.
We didn't like any of the wines we tasted, we opted to pay the $7 tasting fee rather than buy a bottle (in fact in the 8 wineries we visited on our trip this was the only place we did not purchase wine). I noticed the other couple across from us (without the underage drinkers) opted to not purchase either.
Sorry yelpers, I really wanted to like this place, but we were disappointed. -
Review from Katie Y.
Washington, DC
10/19/2009
My husband and I really enjoyed this place. We went on a rainy Tuesday and had a great time chatting with their wine expert and tasting their wines. We really enjoyed their Charbono (which used to be one of the most popular grapes grown in Napa but is now only grown on a couple local vineyards) and their Muscat. What we loved most was that they had done a party the week before featuring their wines paired with junk food (think swedish fish, tostinos pizza rolls, candy corn, etc). I wish I had taken a photo of the menu with the pairings - it was so genius! We tried the red hot cheetos with the Muscat, and I'm telling you - the spice with the sweetness was so good. And I found a coupon on their website for 10% off any wine purchase...when you're hopping around wine country dropping lots of dollars on wines, 10% off is nice.
